Addictions after WLS???

I've read several other places that Addiction can increase or come out after WLS, as you use the addictions as a crutch in place of eating?  Please, I'd love some feedback about this.  What types of addictions did people have?  What did you do to not let them consume/destroy your life??  I know I have an addictive  personality of sorts.  I am not an alcoholic, I don't do drugs, I tend to over spend a bit.  Any thoughts??  Thanks!!  No surgery approval for me yet.  I've just submitted all the info and am playing the waiting game!

I had all of my addictions prior to my surgery and was already in recovery for most of them when I had my surgery.   I always had my eating disorder and alcoholism, and would interchange them throughout my adult life.  I was not obese until after my first child, because I was very physically active in high school.  After my first pregnancy, I became more sedentary and also could get away with bingeing more.   After I entered AA in 1989, my eating took off like fire.  I gained more weight rapidly because I transferred my primary addiction and was using food to replace alcohol.  I also did shopping.  I began psychotherapy at that time in order to deal with the eating disorder.  I also attended Overeaters Anonymous.  It all has to do with impulse control.  I would do anything not to feel the feelings I was experieincing.  OA is like AA, except you work on the food instead of alcohol.  The huge difference for recovery is that with alcohol, you never have to drink again.  With food, you still have to eat. Toward the end of my marriage, my drinking picked up again, because I was not working my recovery program and dealing with my feelings in an effective way.  I came back into AA in 2001, but my eating took off again.  I gained 70 pounds rather quickly.  Only problem is, that in a few years after my divorce, I racked up over $60,0000 in credit card debt.  Impulse shopping and spending was horrible. In 2005, I went to an intensive outpatient program for eating disorders which helped tremendously in teaching me self-soothing skills.   Last year, I realized I needed to do something even more drastic and had the WLS.  When I came to OH, and learned about addiction transference, I began to work my AA program in earnest.  I do not want to relapse with my alcoholism.   If you are aware of your addictive personality, that is half the battle.  My suggestion is therapy to learn triggers and coping skills, as well as work through any underlying issues that may be setting off the addictive personality.   Good luck. Trish

Trish gives some great insight, and ideas. I had drank and drugged my whole life, as well as over-eat, and eat to self comfort myself.  So after the weight loss surgery I really went out of control with the drinking. I can not say with 100% certainty that my drinking was a result of transfer addiction, but but most certainly I was under a great deal of stress and having a hard time coping with all the stress, and I started to drink to deal with it.  And for the first time in my life I lost complete control.  I had to get lots and lots of help from many places.  And thank goodness I did. I agree with Trish that just knowing you have an addictive personality is half the battle.  And I also agree that alcohol and drug ABUSE is something you don't have to ever live with.  But we do have to learn to live with food. If you want this surgery to work for you the best advice I have is this.  LEARN from the get go to stick to a very strick, but healthy diet.  IF you have a sugar addiction then learn to live without sugar complelty.  If you have a problem with grazing...learn to live a new way after surgery.  Never give in to the old dysfunctional eating patterns.  Don't bring the stuff into your home. Tell your family members not to bring into the home.  They don't need it eather.  Especially the kids. Good luck to you.

PLEASE, I WISH I COULD BE THE BIGGEST ADVOCATE FOR PEOPLE TO NOT DO THIS SURGERY. IT WILL RUIN YOUR LIFE AND YOUR FAMILIES.  MY HUSBAND IS IN A REHAB NOW FOR ALCOHOL AND AMBIES, XANAX AND GOT KNOWS WHAT ELSE.  NEVER DID THIS BEFORE HIS SURGERY, TOTAL, AND I MEAN TOTAL, NO WAY TO MINCE WORDS, IT IS A TOTALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL TRANSFER ADDICTION TAKING PLACE.   ALSO, HE LEFT MYSELF AND OUR SON SIX  MONTHS AGO, NEEDED TO FIND HIMSELF, DIDN'T KNOW WHO HE WAS ANYMORE?  GEE, i WONDER WHY, WENT FROM 430 TO 200 IN A YEAR AND A HALF, WORKED OUT TWO HOURS A DAY NOW, GOES FOR MANICURES AND PEDICUES, SCREWED AROUND A FEW TIMES.  AND JUST FOR THE RECORD, I AM NOT 430, I AM 130, I WAS 110 WHEN I MET HIM 17 YEARS AGO, AND HE WAS 190, AND HAS GAINED AND LOST ABOUT 130 THREE SEPARATE OCCASIONS, BUT CAN'T MAINTAIN IT.  HE IS GORGEOUS, ALWAYS WAS EVEN HEAVY, AND I NEVER SAW HIM THAT HEAVY.  I GUESS LOVE IS BLIND.  BUT YOU KNOW, I TOLD HIM MY HUSBAND DIES ON JAN 76, 2006, THE DAY OF HIS SURGERY.  I WOULD TAKE THE 430 POUND 'WONDERFUL HUSBAND, FATHER BACK IN A MINUTE,"   HE IS SOULESS NOW, AND IF I WERE TO MEET HIM NOW, I WOULD NOT GIVE HIM A SECOND LOOK.    WELL, TIME TO GET BACK TO SCOPING THE WEBSITE TO CHANGE MY CAREER AT 43 BECAUSE HE HAS TURNED OUR LIFE UPSIDE DOWN.  P.S.,  AND SHAME ON THE DRS FOR THE ALMIGHT DOLLAR, HE DID NOT HAVE ANY PRE PSYCH SESSIONS BEFORE.  THERE IS GOING TO BE A BIG BACKLASH WITH HIS AND LAWSUITS DOWN THE ROAD, MARK MY WORDS